Thursday, October 17, 2013

real Techniques expert face brush

If you watched my Best & Worst of Beauty video last month then you already know my basic feelings on the real Techniques expert face brush. However, now that I've been using it for more than a week (like was the case in that video), I can add my thorough review into the already overwhelming sea of "AH-MAAAAAZING" proclamations that exist on this brush; basically, just expect a bit more literacy than the beauty community is typically known for.

The first thing I noticed about the expert face brush was something I coulda-shoulda-woulda noticed but for some reason failed to: this thing is tiny! I don't know why I was expecting something bigger when I've seen it used and held before but I think it's because I was using my e.l.f. studio powder brush for foundation (which is probably 4 or 5x the circumference of this brush).

I mention it because, when thinking about using something so small for a full face of foundation, it seems a little... well, wrong. But somehow this little guy manages to buff foundation into the skin like I've never experienced; truly, it leaves you with an airbrushed finish and an ego boost to keep your head high throughout the day. No streaks or foundation lines on the jaw with this! Just smooth, flawless looking skin. It's fun for me as well because you use this brush like a paint brush rather than in the usual circular motions many other foundation brushes require.

The expert face brush is also, as many people scream and drool about, extremely dense and soft. Though honestly, if you're used to using e.l.f. studio brushes then the softness won't blow you away. It's comparable but I'd say e.l.f. still takes home the gold in terms of texture. Don't let that deter you though; this is still a very soft brush that feels wonderful on the face. When it comes to density though, the claims are all spot on. The expert face brush is so deliciously dense and has yet to shed a hair on me so I expect it to stay fat and phat for a long time to come.

My one gripe about the expert face brush is that it soaks up a ton of foundation. What that means is that you need to put a little more foundation on your face for regular coverage (the brush sheers it out compared to using a different brush or your fingers) and it also makes it so you have to actually keep up on washing your brush(es). I am terrible at washing my brushes, getting around to it about once a month (yeah yeah, I know... throw rocks at me later, okay?), but I definitely have to wash the expert face brush once a week. If I don't, all of the excess foundation clumps up the bristles and makes your subsequent applications streaky.

Aside from my one problem with this brush (which comes down to my own laziness, but I know I'm not alone so I feel it's something worth mentioning) I am, like the rest of the beauty community, absolutely smitten with the real Techniques expert face brush. The hype had me absolutely terrified of this line of brushes but I'm so happy I snagged this one on sale at Ulta last month; I'm eager to get more the next time there's a sale!! The brushes are worth every penny of their retail price but since Ulta seems to do a BOGO 50% off of the line once a month there's no reason for me to pay full priceo(≧∇≦o)

19 comments:

These keep popping up all over my feed and I feel like it's definitely time I cave and just buy them! They seem so nice, but you're totally right - I've never noticed that it's a super tiny brush! I've never seen it to scale.

This was my first Real Techniques brush, too! I didn't expect it to be so small, either, haha! It didn't even look that small when I saw it in people's videos or blog posts! I don't really like using it for foundation because it makes me look really cakey for some reason :/ The dry patches also get enhanced with this one, but I do LOVE it for applying bronzer, blushes and highlighter. It fit's the contours of the face so nicely :D I'm gonna wait for the 'Sam's Picks' kit to come out because it has EVERY brush I've ever wanted to try from this brand in it and it's what she thinks are her best! :D

Awww we're twinzzzzzz! Oh strange that it makes you look cakey though! I don't have that problem at all :o Granted we do have different skin types so maybe that's why? Using this for bronzer and whatnot though sounds fantastic so I'm glad you found a good use for it! AND THAT SAM'S PICKS KIT THOUGH... I had no idea that was a thing but I'm DEFINITELY going to be nabbing it when it comes out <3

I love this brush to pieces but it is a mofo to clean. If you get frustrated, try the Daiso Puff & Sponge Cleanser (I buy it on ebay/Amazon for around $4.50 because I don't have friends in Asia or Australia *sad face*). It's meant for cleaning and sanitizing Beauty Blenders but this bottle of magic cleaning potion manages to get ALL the foundation off my Real Techiques brushes, even deep down in the core where makeup seems to migrate and have bacteria parties.

I have the realTechniques Foundation Brush which I love, but I have a feeling this one would be better for foundation as I tend to love round brushes not angled ones for using with liquid/cream products.

I own 3 RT brushes: the stippling brush, the purple eyeshadow brush (sorry I forgot the name,) and the brow/lash groomer. I love the stippling for foundation, but now I think I wanna give this one a go...

Love those two close up photos! I like the Expert Face Brush, especially for cream blush, but the Buffing Brush from the Core Collection is my absolute favourite. Never tried the e.l.f. studio brushes but they sound incredible if you can compare them favourably to RT!

Glad you like the photos dear! And ahhhhh yes I hear fabulous things about the Buffing Brush... I may have to cave and buy the Core Collection sometime very soon. The e.l.f. studio brushes really are fantastic (and best of all cheap!) and use them on a daily basis; so soft and just perfect all around!

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